ProRAE Guardian FAQ

General Questions

What are the minimum software and hardware requirements for ProRAE Guardian?

Hardware

Pentium (or compatible) CPU, 1.0 GHz or higher
Color monitor (1024x768 or higher resolution, 16-bit color)
100 MB of free hard disk space for software
CD-ROM drive
1 GB RAM or higher
Serial port (RS-232/USB port) for device/modem connection
Serial communication cable or USB-to-serial cable/adapter
Sound card (to enable local sound notifications)
LAN connection for network-connected devices and / or data sharing
RAE Systems or compatible device(s)

Software

Microsoft Windows (XP SP3, Vista, or Windows 7)
Adobe Acrobat Reader V5.0 or higher to view product documentation
Live Internet connection for Google Maps

What instruments are supported by ProRAE Guardian?

Tier 1	Tier 2	Tier 3
ToxiRAE Pro Family	MeshGuard Family	AreaRAE Family
QRAE Plus	MultiRAE Lite	MultiRAE Pro
	MultiRAE	ppbRAE 3000
	MultiRAE Plus	UltraRAE 3000
	MiniRAE 2000	ChemRAE
	MiniRAE 3000	WEATHERPAK
	ppbRAE Plus	BioHarness
	GammaRAE II R	All 3rd Party Instruments

PRG supports the RAELink family of modems, as well as RAEMesh Readers. It also supports RAE FMC2000 controllers.

What is the default password for an administrator in ProRAE Guardian?

The default password for an administrator account is raesystems. It is recommended that you change the default password and store the new password in secure but easy-to-remember place.

How do I contact RAE Systems Customer Support?

You can contact RAE Systems’ Customer Support Dept., either through the website (www.raesystems.com) or by phone (888-723-4800).

How do I access the datalog for an instrument?

Use the following steps:

Click on the "LogView" toolbar icon.
In the LogView window, select the instrument you wish to view.
Click the "Query" button. Your data will appear on the right, organized in 4 sections by tab.
Click on each tab to view the data organized in different ways.

Can I use my RAE GPS module and maps with PRG?

Yes. PRG works with local maps as well as with Google Maps. You need RAE GPS Module V2.2 or higher to use them with PRG. PRG supports the “MXD” map file format.

The Google Map function doesn’t seem to work on my PRG system. Why?

You need an active connection to the Internet to access Google Maps. Make sure you are connected to the Internet and, if you have trouble, try again. If in doubt, open a browser window such as Internet Explorer and type in http://maps.google.com. If this works, then so should Google Maps in PRG. If this does not work, then there is a problem either with your PC, your Internet connection, or Google Maps.

Cascade Data / Real-Time Data Sharing

What is "Cascade Mode"?

“Cascade Mode” is a PRG feature that allows one or more PRG machines to share real-time instrument data with other one or more PRG machines. In other words, this feature allows you to view instrument data simultaneously from your geographically dispersed PRG machines in a single view.

Using this feature, you can configure one of the PRG machines as a central Data Aggregator and Distributor machine (DAD). All other PRG machines can send their instrument data to this central machine and at the same time receive the aggregated data to dynamically show it on the map.

Enabling Cascade Mode requires a minimum of two PRG Full Version machines, one running "Cascade Out Mode" and the other running "Cascade In Mode."

How can I use the “Cascade Mode” feature to share data among multiple responder teams, each running their own local ProRAE Guardian with different Network IDs?

“Cascade Mode” is specifically designed to share real-time instrument data among multiple groups, independent of their network IDs or geographical location. Use the following steps to set up your PRG machines for data sharing using “Cascade Mode”:

Step 1. Select one of the PRG machines in the group and designate it as the Data Aggregator and Distributor machine.

a. Note (write down) the IP address of this machine.

Step 2. Follow these steps to configure Data Aggregator and Distributor machine:

a. Go to the Data Sources menu option and select the Remote Data In tab:

Select the "Cascade In mode" option.
Note the "Listen Port" number.
Select the “Auto Start” option.
Click the "Start" button.

b. Go to the Options > Data Options menu option and select the Data Forwarding tab:

Select the “Enable Remote Viewers” option.
Note the “Listen Port” number.
Select the “Enable Data Forwarding” and "Auto Start" options.
Click the “Set” button.

Step 3. Follow these steps to configure all other PRG machines:

a. Go to the Options > Data Options menu option and select the Data Forwarding tab:

Select the "Cascade Out Mode" option and enter the IP address noted in Step 1.a Make sure the "Remote PC Port" number is the same as noted in Step 2.a.ii.
Select "Enable Data Forwarding" and "Auto Start" options.
Click the "Set" button.

b. Go to the Data Sources menu option and select the Remote Data In tab:

Select "Viewer Mode".
Enter the IP address noted in Step 1.a in "Remote PRG PC Address". Make sure the "Remote PRG PC Port" number is the same as noted in Step 2.b.ii.
Click the "Start" button.

NOTE: The IP address of the Data Aggregator and Distributor machine should be accessible by all other PRG machines for the data-sharing feature to work.

I have 11 PRG machines all set to Cascade their data to one central Data Aggregator and Distributor machine. I can see data from my 10 PRG machines, but not the 11th one. What's wrong?

By default, a PRG machine can receive data from up to 10 other PRG machines. Use the following steps to change the default limit of 10:

Go to the Data Sources menu option and select the Remote Data In tab.
Change the “Max # of Remote PCs” field value to a higher number as needed.

NOTE: Setting this field value to a very high number may decrease overall system and network performance. Use caution when doing when increasing the number.

What are the differences between PRG Full Version and PRG Viewer Version

This table summarizes the key differences between PRG Viewer Version and PRG Full version:

PRG Full Version	PRG Viewer Version
Supports locally connected instruments.	Does not support locally connected instruments.
Supports the Cascade Mode feature.	Does not support the Cascade Mode feature.
Requires an instrument monitoring license for locally connected instruments.	Does not require a license.

How do I set up PRG Viewer Version to monitor instrument data from another PRG system?

Follow these steps to set up your PRG Viewer Version to monitor instrument data from another PRG system:

Go to the Data Source menu option.
Select the “Viewer Mode”option.
Enter the IP address and port number of the remote PRG machine from where you want to see the instrument readings.
Select the "Auto Start" option.
Click the “Start” button.

NOTE: PRG Full Version can also be set up as a viewer in this fashion.

What settings do I need in my PRG Full Version to see data from the connected instruments in remote PRG Viewer Versions?

Follow these steps to configure your PRG Full Version:

Go to the Options > Data Options menu option and select the Data Forwarding tab.
Select the “Enable Remote Viewers” option.
Select the “Enable Data Forwarding” option.
Select the "Auto Start" option.
Click the “Set” button.

Go to the Data Sources menu option and select the “Remote Data In” tab.
Select the “Viewer Mode”option.
Enter the IP address of your PRG Full Version in “Remote PRG PC Address.”
Select the "Auto Start" option.
Click the “Start” button.

Licensing Questions

What is ProRAE Guardian’s license model, and how does it work?

ProRAE Guardian supports a Concurrent Instrument Monitoring License model. It limits the maximum number of instruments in each Tier that can be monitored in ProRAE Guardian Host at the same time when connected through a RAELink family of Host modems, RAEMesh Reader, and/or FMC2000 Controller.

Please remember:

No license is required for wireless infrastructure products (e.g., RAELink2, RAELink3, Mesh Router, and RAEMesh Reader, or FMC2000 Controller).
No license is required for ProRAE Guardian Viewer or for monitoring instruments connected with a remote ProRAE Guardian Host.
Separate licenses are required for each ProRAE Guardian Host to monitor local instruments connected through RAELink family of Host modems, RAEMesh Reader, and/or FMC2000 Controller.
One-time activation is required for each ProRAE Guardian Host, which locks the licenses with the host PC. Locked licenses cannot be activated on another PC.
Deactivation of ProRAE Guardian Host unlocks the licenses and removes the monitoring capabilities for local instruments. Unlocked licenses can be activated on another machine.
Higher-tier instrument licenses can view instruments in lower tiers (e.g., Tier 3 instrument license allows you to view instruments in Tier 3, Tier 2, or Tier 1).

I have 10 AreaRAE instruments, but at any given time only 6 of them are used for real-time monitoring through ProRAE Guardian. How many ProRAE Guardian concurrent instrument monitoring licenses would be sufficient for my need?

You will need 6 licenses for Tier 3 instruments, which will allow you to monitor up to 6 AreaRAE instruments at the same time.

Do I need to buy a license to connect and monitor a borrowed instrument from another department with my ProRAE Guardian Host?

No. You do not need to buy a new license for a borrowed instrument, as long as that instrument belongs to a Tier for which you already have license(s) installed on your ProRAE Guardian Host PC.

I have 6 concurrent instrument monitoring licenses for ProRAE Guardian. But now I need to increase my concurrent instrument licenses from 6 to 10. What do I need to do?

Contact your sales representative or RAE Systems Service department to buy additional licenses. Make sure you have your ProRAE Guardian Product Key available.

I must monitor 4 different geographical locations. Each location has 5 AreaRAE instruments. I want people at each location to be able to monitor their local instruments as well as instruments at other remote locations. How many licenses would I need?

For each of the four locations, you will need 5 licenses for Tier 3 instruments, which will allow local monitoring of the instruments.

To share instruments’ readings with all remote locations, you need to configure one of the ProRAE Guardian Hosts as a data aggregator and distributor. For that, you need to enable Cascade In and Remote Viewers settings. All other ProRAE Guardian Hosts need to enable their Cascade Out and Cascade In settings for the data aggregator ProRAE Guardian Host. Please refer to the ProRAE Guardian User’s Guide for details.

What are the license terms?

These are the key license terms for ProRAE Guardian:

Customers will receive free software updates and technical support for the current major version of the product.
Customers will receive free critical updates and technical support for 1 previous major version of the product.

What are the instruments in each Tier?

The following table lists all the instruments in each of the three Tiers.

Tier 1	Tier 2	Tier 3
ToxiRAE Pro Family	MeshGuard Family	AreaRAE Family
QRAE Plus	MultiRAE Lite	MultiRAE Pro
	MultiRAE	ppbRAE 3000
	MultiRAE Plus	UltraRAE 3000
	MiniRAE 2000	ChemRAE
	MiniRAE 3000	WEATHERPAK
	ppbRAE Plus	BioHarness
	GammaRAE II R	All 3rd Party Instruments

Can I use any ProRAE Guardian CD or copy of ProRAE Guardian software downloaded from RAE Systems’ website?

Yes, but to activate and use your copy of ProRAE Guardian, you will need a Product Key.

Is there any limitation on how many times I can activate and/or deactivate my licenses?

No. You can activate and deactivate your licenses as needed.

I need to migrate my registered copy of ProRAE Guardian Host from the current PC to another PC. How can I migrate my licenses?

You will need to deactivate your licenses on the current ProRAE Guardian Host PC before you can activate them on the new PC. Follow these steps:

Click the License menu on the System toolbar under Command Center.
Write down your Product Key.
Click the Options button and follow the License Wizard steps to deactivate your licenses on the current PC.
Install ProRAE Guardian on another machine and migrate your datalog and configuration files as needed.
Start ProRAE Guardian and follow the License Wizard steps to activate your licenses on the new PC.

I don’t have my ProRAE Guardian Product Key. Where can I find it?

There are multiple options available in ProRAE Guardian software itself to find your Product Key:

Click the License menu on the System toolbar under Command Center.
Select the "About ProRAE Guardian..." menu option.
Check the ProRAE Guardian Instrument Monitoring License Certificate that came with your last order.

I purchased additional instrument monitoring licenses and received the new license certificate but I still do not see additional instruments’ readings in my ProRAE Guardian Host. How can I address this issue?

Follow the steps below to address this issue:

Click the License menu on the System toolbar under Command Center.
Click on the Options button on the License dialog box that pops up and type in the administrator’s password.
Select “I want to refresh my license” and follow the License Wizard instructions.

GCO Questions

What is Guaranteed Cost of Ownership (“GCO”) for ProRAE Guardian, and what benefits does it provide?

Guaranteed Cost of Ownership (“GCO”) entitles you to receive all ProRAE Guardian software upgrades free of charge during their GCO Terms, which provides significant savings over buying upgrades independently. Software upgrades provide significant feature enhancements and functionality and often represented by a change in the major version of the product.

Software upgrades under GCO terms are made available as they are released for general availability by RAE Systems.

Restrictions

GCO must be purchased within one year of the purchase of ProRAE Guardian™ Instrument Monitoring Licenses.
GCO must be renewed before its term expires, in order to continue receiving software upgrades.
Active GCO term is required to receive software upgrades.
GCO is associated with a Product Key and cannot be transferred.

What options are available for GCO, and how much do they cost?

GCO can be bought for any term between 3 years and 10 years.

The GCO price depends on your number of Concurrent Instrument Monitoring Licenses. Please contact your sales representative for details.

Does my ProRAE Guardian GCO also cover my instruments that I monitor through ProRAE Guardian Host?

No. The ProRAE Guardian GCO is only for the instrument monitoring licenses through ProRAE Guardian software. It does not apply to instruments. You need to purchase separate GCO for your instruments, if needed.

I have 10 Tier 3 licenses with GCO that will expire in 2 years. But now I want to add 5 more licenses to my existing ProRAE Guardian Host. Do I need to purchase GCO for the additional 5 licenses?

Yes. If you have GCO for the existing licenses, then you are required to purchase GCO to cover the additional licenses for the remaining GCO term. However, the purchase price will be prorated.

Networking Questions

How do I know what the "IP Address" of my PC is?

Click on the PRG version info in the left corner of the status bar (i.e., bottom-left in the ProRAE Guardian main window), which will show the “About ProRAE Guardian” dialog box with an IP address of your PC.

How can I ensure that I can reach a remote PRG machine from my local PRG machine?

You can use the ping utility that comes with the Windows operating system. Follow these steps:

Go to the “Start” menu of your Microsoft Windows machine (usually the lower-left corner of your display).
Type “CMD” in that text box and hit Enter. A Command dialog box should open on your desktop
In the Command box, type the following:

ping IP ADDRESS

where IP ADDRESS is the actual IP address of the machine you want to reach. Hit return. If you successfully reach the machine, you will see a message similar to:

4. Hit “Enter.”

If you successfully reach the machine, you will see a message similar to:

"Reply from IPADDRESS: bytes=32 time=xms TTL=128".

If you are unsuccessful, you will see a message similar to this:

"Request timed out."

I know the IP Address of my machine, but when my associate tries to ping the machine from another computer elsewhere in the company, he always gets “Request timed out.” Why does this not work?

There may be a corporate firewall, Internet router, or Network Address Translator (NAT) between your computer and your associate’s, which may be blocking the computers from being able to connect in this fashion. Consult your I.T. department to address this issue.

I have an FMC2000 controller and a PC running PRG. I plugged one end of my network cable into the FMC2000 and the other end into my PC. Why doesn't it work?

Most modern networks will not operate in this fashion. You need to have a "network router" in between all endpoint devices to resolve IP addresses and route network traffic properly. Therefore, you need to have a separate cable for each network device, with one end plugged into the device (PC, FMC2000, etc.) and the other end plugged into a suitable router (e.g., Linksys, Netgear, etc.).

What is the "port" setting for?

On several of the control dialogs in PRG, you will see an entry for “port.” This refers to the network port that is being communicated on for that particular function. Note that in order for most PRG functions to work properly, two very important things must happen:

Ports on both ends of a communication link must match. For example, when setting up remote viewers, the port setting for the “Remote PRG PC Port” under “Viewer Mode” in the “Remote Data In” tab of the “Data Source” dialog MUST be the same as the port setting for the “Listen Port” under “Enable Remote Viewers” in the “Data Forwarding” tab of the “Options” dialog.
Ports must be open. Some computers may be located behind corporate firewalls and/or other network objects that block certain port access. If so, contact your IT support personnel to make sure the port settings for PRG are not blocked. If necessary, change to ports that are not blocked, but remember to change the port settings on BOTH computers using that feature to ensure proper communication.

ProRAE Remote Questions

Can I run ProRAE Remote (PRR) on the same system that I'm running PRG on?

Yes. Both PRR and PRG can operate on the same system, however, if you are using any local devices [such as RAELink2 or RAELink3 modems], you will only be able to run either PRR or PRG at any one time, since both programs will attempt to grab the serial port the devices are attached to, and only one program can use any one serial port at a time. If you have no local devices, then both programs can run concurrently. However, it is not recommended because of the potential conflict in TCP/IP ports.

I'm trying to run PRG, but when I do, I get a message that says “... another version of PRR is running…” What's wrong?

In some cases, PRR cannot be running at the same time as PRG. Shut down one of them and then the other should run.

I am happy with PRR. Why should I upgrade to PRG?

Following are the reasons why you should consider upgrading to PRG:

Moving forward, PRG is the replacement for PRR. We have stopped enhancing PRR and no longer ship it to our customers. Soon we’ll be announcing end of life for PRR.
PRR is not supported on Windows 7.
We do not support new instruments or certify revisions of existing instruments’ firmware with PRR.
PRG contains many new and unique features of higher customer value. Ask your RAE Systems representative for PRG demo and benefit analysis.

Will you continue to support PRR? For how long?

We do not intend to keep supporting PRR for long. Soon we’ll be announcing end of life for PRR. Contact your RAE Systems representative to discuss your upgrade options to PRG.

Will you continue to add new device support to PRR?

Although PRR will continue to work with existing AreaRAE instruments, we have no plans to expand this support to other instruments. Software support for new instruments will be provided through ProRAE Guardian only.

ProRAE Guardian SDK Questions

What is ProRAE Guardian SDK?

ProRAE Guardian™ SDK (Software Development Kit) provides third-party product vendors and systems integrators the ability to integrate real-time data from ProRAE Guardian with external systems such as SCADA (Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition), public warning systems, real-time predictive analytics, etc. It allows customers to leverage investments in their existing systems by extending their capabilities with the integration of real-time data from gas and radiation detection instruments instead of buying new systems. Customers can also use the SDK to build custom solutions to meet their specific application needs.

Who should use the ProRAE Guardian SDK?

The SDK is mainly intended for third-party product vendors and end customers who want to enhance capabilities of their products and existing systems by integrating real-time data from gas- and radiation-detection instruments. In addition, it is also intended for systems integrators who develop and provide custom solutions for specific application and customer needs. The actual integration work is done by software professionals.

What are the system and license requirements for ProRAE Guardian SDK?

Hardware

Pentium (or compatible) CPU, 1.0 GHz or higher
Color monitor (1024x768 or higher resolution, 16-bit color) for Test Harness
100 MB of free hard disk space for software
Serial port (RS-232/USB port) for device/modem connection
Serial communication cable or USB-to-serial cable/adapter
LAN connection for network-connected devices
ProRAE Guardian supported instruments

Software

Microsoft Windows (XP SP3, Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8)
Adobe Acrobat Reader for viewing product documentation

License

ProRAE Guardian Instrument Monitoring License
ProRAE Guardian SDK License

What is included in the ProRAE Guardian SDK package?

SDK Toolkit

C API libraries for building integration module
Test Harness tool to simulate instruments and test integration module
Programmer’s Guide
Online C API Help
Sample programs

ProRAE Guardian Data Service Manager

Software module to manage data acquisition and delivery service

What is the ProRAE Guardian SDK license model, and how does it work?

The SDK license allows you to receive real-time instrument data through your ProRAE Guardian Host and use it in your external applications and systems for customized capabilities.

The SDK license is an add-on to your existing ProRAE Guardian instrument monitoring license. In other words, it is a prerequisite to have the ProRAE Guardian Instrument Monitoring license in order to buy and use the SDK license.

I already have a ProRAE Guardian license for monitoring my instruments. Do I need to buy a separate license for the SDK?

Yes. You need to buy a separate SDK license. While your existing ProRAE Guardian license allows you to monitor real-time instrument data within ProRAE Guardian software, the SDK license allows you to receive the same real-time instrument data and use it in your external applications for customized capabilities.

I have two ProRAE Guardian Hosts, each monitoring five AreaRAE instruments. I want to use the SDK to receive real-time instrument data from the two Hosts in a custom application that controls a centralized alarm system. What information do I need to provide while placing an order for the SDK?

You need to provide Product Keys associated with each of your ProRAE Guardian Hosts. Review another section of this Frequently Asked Questions to determine your product keys, if you don’t have them.

I am a vendor who provides centralized surveillance systems used in industrial plants. I want to enhance the value of my systems by including real-time gas and radiation readings from RAE Systems instruments. How can I do that?

You need an integration module that will receive real-time data from RAE Systems instruments and feed into your surveillance system for centralized monitoring and controlling. To develop the integration module for your system, you will need ProRAE Guardian SDK and services from a computer software professional.

The SDK provides an API (Application Programming Interface) function library that software professionals can use to receive real-time instrument data in a high-level XML (eXtensible Markup Language) format to transform and feed into your system.

Does RAE Systems provide a ready-to-use integration module or offer custom integration services?

Not at this time.

Is ProRAE Guardian SDK available for evaluation?

Yes. You can request a 60-day, fully functional evaluation copy of ProRAE Guardian SDK through RAE Systems’ website.

What is CAP (Common Alerting Protocol)? What benefit does it provide?

The Common Alerting Protocol is a simple XML (eXtensible Markup Language)-based message format for exchanging all-hazard emergency alerts and public warnings over all kinds of networks. CAP allows a consistent warning message to be disseminated simultaneously over many different warning systems, thus increasing warning effectiveness while simplifying the warning task

Does ProRAE Guardian SDK support CAP?

ProRAE Guardian SDK supports CAP 1.2. The C API functions provide options to receive instrument alarm information in CAP 1.2 format.

I use ProRAE Remote to monitor my 4 AreaRAE instruments. Can I use ProRAE Guardian SDK to build my custom application?

Yes, you can. You will need to buy ProRAE Guardian Instrument Monitoring license along with the SDK license. Please contact your sales representative for details.

Contact our Technical Support Team

RAE Systems World Headquarters